Refrigerating apparatus



" Feb. 23, 1943. A. A. KUCHER 2,311,947

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS .Fi'ledQGt. so. 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Avon-v A. Kan/n. BY

Feb. 23, 1943. A. A. KUCHER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS .Fi'ledOct. 30, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q Q 0 O 6 INVENTOR AVA/04th r4. liel -"wgz.

Patented Feb. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BEFRIGERATING APPARATUS Andrew A. Kucher, Oakwood, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application October 30, 1941, Serial No. 417,173

8 Claims. (Cl. 62-115) This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to the construction of a refrigerant liquefying and condensing unit of a refrigerating system.

An object of my invention is to provide a neat 'and compact refrigerant compressing and conforms a compartment for housing the air circulating means, the receiver and a motor-compressor of the unit and wherein the receiver is of such form as to close one end of the compartment and serves to direct circulating air over the condenser.

In carrying out the foregoing objects it is a still further and more specific object of my invention to form or arrang convolutions of a con denser of a refrigerant liquefying unit so that,

they provide reticulated walls of an elongated horizontally disposed compartment having a reirigerant compressing means positioned therein and spaced from the compartment walls to permit a fan to circulate air into the compartment from one end thereof over the compressing means and outwardly of the reticulated walls along the length of the compartment.

Fin-ther objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a refrigerant condensinB and liquefying unit constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing a part thereof broken away;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken alons the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing certain ele-. ments of the unit in elevation;

Fig.3 is an end view of the unit: and

denser tubing i2 is formed into a coil, the convolutions of which together with the fins ll thereon, define or provide reticulated walls 'of an elongated horizontally disposed compartment l 5. The horizontally elongated compartment I5 is preferably substantially cylindrical in cross-sectional contour. A plate It, having an opening centrally thereof for a purpose to be hereinafter described, is secured to one end of the condenser ll. ii spider-like plate ll having webs I8 connected to a central portion is provided with an opening therein, for a purpose to be hereinafterdescribed, is secured to the other end of the condenser H. A reticulated cylindrical metal cover or sleeve II is disposed overthe condenser I l for maintaining the plurality of convolutions of the finned tubin I: in horizontal alignment with one another. The ring-like plate It and the spider-like plate ll each have a flange formedat their periphery and these flanges fit over the end of the sleeve II to hold the same on the condenser l I. In order to secure the plates It and I1 firmly to the condenser II, for preventing spreading apart of the convolutions of tubing i2, I place rods 23 intermediate these end plates. Each rod 23 extends through the compartment I5 and has its ends projecting through suitable openings Provided in the plates l8 and IT. A nut 24 is threaded upon threaded ends of the rods 23 and drawn tight against the plates It and Il to maintain the fins H on the tubing II of condenser II in abutting relation with the convolutions of the condenser coil in spaced apartrelation. The end plates II and I1 are each provided with less 28 secured thereto andhaving bolts 21 passing therethrough and secured to the base III forfirmly mounting the condenser upon the supporting ase.

A receiver 8| having a conduit connection withv the tubing I 2 for receiving condensed liquefied refrigerant from condenser ll cooperates with the opening in plate l6 to form a closure for the one end of the horizontally disposed elongated cylindrical compartment I5. Receiver ii is pro-'- vided with a nipple or the like at its lower portion adapted to be connected to a conduit for a I purpose to be presently described. The receiver Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the unit taken along the line L4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings I have shown a portable refrigerant liquei'ying unit mounted on a base It. This unit includes a condenser generally represented by the reference character II and comprising tubing l2 having a plurality of individual spaced apart fins ll thereon. The conthe rods 23 and these boltstherefore, rigidly mount th receiver upon the rods 23 within the central opening of plate It. A motor 33 is mounted in the opening provided in the central portion IQ of spider-like plate ll at the other end I of the condenser and is thereby supported on the unit by plate H. An air circulating means or fan 34 disposed within compartment l adjacent the open end thereof is mounted upon a shaft 36 of motor 33. It will be noted that the condenser N forms a cover or shroud for fan 34 and eliminates the necessity of providing other means for covering the fan. Refrigerant compressing means in the form of a combined motor-compressor mounted in the casing 31 is disposed within the horizontally elongated compartment II intermediate the receiver 3| and. fan 34. The motor within casing 31 is preferably disposed above, in vertical alignment with and directly connected to a rotary compressor substantially of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 2,243,465 of May 27, 1941, and the casing has a conduit connection with the condenser H for forwarding refrigerant compressed by the compressor thereto. The nipple at the bottom of receiver 3| is adapted to be connected, by a conduit, with a cooling element or refrigerant evaporator of a refrigerating system for directing liquefied refrigerant thereto and refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator is adapted to be conveyed to the compressor by a gaseous refrigerant return conduit (not shown) as explained in the patent referred to. Casing 31 is spaced from the walls of compartment I3 so that air may flow around the casing toward the wall surface of receiver 3|. In order to support the motor-compressor containing casing 31 within "compartment i5 I provide legs 4| on the rods 23 and these legs have a bolt 42 passing therethrough for clamping outwardly directed fin ers 43 provided on the casing 31 to the rods. A rubber or other suitable resilient bushing member 44 may be interposed between the fingers 43 and legs 4| for resiliently supporting the casing 31 upon the rods 23. Thus it will be seen that the rods 23 provide rigid mounting pieces within the compartmentil for both the motor-compressor casing 31 and the receiver 3| as well as performing their primary purpose of clamping the condenser coil between the end plates l6 and I1.

. The fan motor 33 may be connected in the compartment and is directed laterally and outwardly of the reticulated compartment walls. The perforations in cover or sleeve 2| are uniform and are smaller than the space between the convolutions of the condenser tubing I: and therefore air directed toward walls of compartment I5 is restricted from passing between the condenser convolutions at any one point along the condenser. The restriction imposed, by the perforated cover 2|, to air directed against the compartment walls is utilized to break up the lateral flow of air through the compartment walls into a plurality of streams of air so that the circulated air passes through the compartment walls substantially uniformly along the length of compartment I! for more effectively cooling the condenser. In other words the cover or sleeve 2| acts as a sieve to divide the air circulated by fan 34 and de flected laterally by the motor-compressor easing into other streams of air which now past casing 31 toward receiver 3| and outwardly of compartment l5 along the entire length of the condenser. Therefore the perforated sleeve 2| prevents theexit from compartment |3 of a great amount of air immediately adiacent the casing 31 and insures a uniform flow of air over the condenser throughout the length thereof. This feature is stantially as shown. in my Patent No.2,243,465

of May 27, 1941, is mounted in the path of air circulated by the fan.

The construction and arrangement of parts of "the unit to provide structural strength also afelectric circuit leading to the motor of the motorcompressor so as to be operated simultaneously with the operation of the motor-compressor.

Operation of motor 33 rotates fan 34 and this fan draws air into the compartment I! through its open end traversed by the webs ll of plate l1. The air circulated into compartment l! by fan 34 flows over the casing 31 to cool the motorcompressor housed therein and this casing deilects the air toward the walls of compartment it. Some of the circulated air iiows around the casing 31 and strikes the receiver 3| before it is deflected thereby toward the compartment walls. The compartment walls being reticulated by vir-' tue of the fins l4 spacing the convolutions of the condenser tubing l2 apart, and by virtue of the reticulated outer condenser cover or sleeve 2| permits the air to flow over and in contact with the condenser tubing in its passage out of compartment I3 to thereby cool and condense compressed refrigerant forwarded to the condenser by the compressor. Since some of the air flows against or in contact with the receiver 3|, this air tends to cool and condense any gaseous refrigerant contained in the receiver.

The reticulated or perforated sleeve or cover II in addition to providing structural rigidity to the unit as previously described, also performs an important function in the present device. By closing one end of compartment I! with the plate l3 and/or the receiver. air is prevented from traveling horizontally entirely through the fords. a rigid mounting means'for the motorcompressor casing within the compartment formed by the condenser thus eliminating the necessity of providing additional mounting, supports. The one end plate of the unit aids in supporting the liquid refrigerant receiver while the other end plate serves to provide the support for the fan motor to thus eliminate the provision of additional means for these purposes. By my novel form of condenser and by the improved arrangement of elements of the refrigerant liquefying unit I am enabled to increase the efficiency thereof while at the same time providing a compact unit which is of low manufacturing cost and heat in appearance.

While the form of'embodiment or the inven- 1 tion as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A refrigerant liquefying unit comprisingpa condenser having its convolutions formed about a horizontally extending axis to enclose and provide walls of a compartment, the convolutions of said condenser being spaced apart to provide openings in said compartment walls along the length thereof, a casing within said compartment containing a motor and a compressor, said casing having its axis disposed in perpendicular relation to the axis of said compartment, means for closing one end of said compartmenhmeans adjacent the other end of said compartment for circulating air horizontally thereinto, and the openings along the length of said compartment walls providing passages for the flow of air out of the compartment in a lateral direction relative to the axis thereof for cooling said condenser.

2. A refrigerant liquefying unit comprising, a condenser having its convolutions formed about a horizontally extending axis to enclose and provide walls of a compartment, the convolutions of said condenser being spaced apart to provide openings in said compartment walls along the length thereof, a casing within said compartment containing a motor and a compressor, a receiver closing one end of said compartment, air circulating means adjacent the other end of said compartment, said means being adapted to circulate air horizontally into said compartment, and the openings along the length of said compartment walls providing passages for the flow of air out of the compartment in a lateral direction relative to the axis thereof for cooling said condenser.

3. A refrigerant liquefying unit comprising, a condenser having its convolutions formed about a horizontally extending axis to enclose and provide walls of a compartment, the convolutions of said condenser being spaced apart to provide openings in said compartment walls along the length thereof, a casing within said compartment containing a motor a compressor, a receiver closing one end of said compartment, air circulating means adjacent the other end of said compartment, said means being adapted to circulate air horizontally into said compartment, the openings in the compartment walls forming passages for the flow of air circulated by said means out of said compartment in a lateral direction relative to the axis thereof for cooling said condenser, and means adjacent said condenser and coextensive therewith for causing the air circulated through said compartment to be distributed along the length of said condenser.

4. A refrigerant liquefying unit comprising, a condenser having its convolutions formed about a horizontally extending axis to enclose and provide walls of a compartment, the convolutions of said condenser being spaced apart to provide openings in said compartment walls along the length thereof, a casing within said compartment containing a motor and a compressor, said casing having its axis disposed in perpendicular relation to the axis of said compartment, means for circulating air through the openings in said compartment walls in a lateral direction rela-- tive to the axis of said compartment for cooling said condenser, and means adjacent said condenser and coextensive therewith for causing the air circulated through the openings in said compartment walls to be distributed along the length of said condenser.

5. A refrigerant liquefying unit comprising, a condenser having its convolutions formed to enclose a compartment, a reticulated member coextensive with and surrounding said condenser. a first plate at one end of said compartment engaging said member, a second plate at the other end of said compartment engaging said member, a plurality of rods extending through i said compartment closely adjacent the convolutions of said condenser and connected to said plates for securing same in engagement with said member, a casing within said compartment containing a motor and a compressor and having a connection with said condenser, and means for supporting said casing from said rods.

6. A refrigerant lique'fying unit comprising, a condenser having its convolutions spaced apart and formed to enclose a compartment, a reticulated member coextensive with and surrounding said condenser, means for closing one end of said compartment, a plate having openings therein at the other end of said compartment, a plurality of rods extending through said compartment closely adjacent the convolutions 01' said condenser and connected to said means and to said plate for securing them in engagement with said member, a casing within said compartment containing a motor and a compressor and having a connection with said condenser, means for supporting said casing from said rods, and means carried by said plate for circulating air into said compartment at said other end thereof and out of the compartment through the reticulated member for cooling said condenser.

7. A refrigerant liquefying unit comprising, a. condenser having its convolutions formed about a horizontally extending axis to enclose and pro vide walls of a compartment, the convolutions of said condenser being spaced apart to provide a plurality of horizontally spaced openings in said compartment walls along the length thereof, a casing within said compartment containing a motor and a compressor, means for circulating air into said compartment and against said casing, and the openings along the length of said compartment walls providing passages for the how of air, circulated by said means, in a lateral direction relative to the horizontal axis of said compartment for cooling said condenser.

8. A refrigerant liquefying unit comprising, a

condenser having its convolutions formed about a horizontally extending axis to enclose and pro vide walls oi! a compartment, the convolutions of said condenser being spaced apart to provide a plurality of horizontally spaced openings in said compartment walls along the length thereoifl a casing within said compartment containing a motor and a compressor, means for circulating air into said compartment and against said casing, the openings along the length of said compartment walls providing passages for the how of air, circulated by said means, in a lateral direction relative to the horizontal axis of said compartment, and means adjacent said condenser and substantially coextensive therewith for causing the air flowing through the openings in said compartment walls to be distributed along the length of the condenser for cooling same. ANDREW A. KUCHER. 

